Fishing in
Eagle River
Fishing Report
Updated 06/25
After a stretch of hot, stormy weather, we’re settling into a true Northwoods summer—warm days and cooler nights, scattered rain, and a level of humidity that makes the fish (or the anglers) a little more cooperative. Water temperatures are in the upper 60’s and low 70’s depending and the fishing remains solid across all species. Expect daily challenges and changes as we swing from air temps in the upper 80’s to mid-50’s, and everything in between. This also greatly affects the surface water temperatures and the fish, in return.
Walleye
Walleye have moved out to mid-depth weed edges and are feeding more consistently as water warms, but you should be willing to change location and presentation through your day on the water. Most action is generally coming from about 15’ (give or take 5’) in and near the established weed beds. Weedless jigs tipped with minnows are producing well. Slip bobbers with leeches or crawlers are also a great choice, especially in the evenings when fish get more active. We’ve seen a nice uptick on success with leeches in the last week. If you’d prefer to cast and retrieve, try a Keitech 3” Easy Shiner under a weedless jig and drag it through. The bite certainly isn’t aggressive all day, but timing around low light (cloudy skies) and weather changes will sure help. Flexibility is key.
Bass
Bass fishing has remained good for most anglers. Smallmouth are basically done with their spawn on rocky shorelines, but you’ll still find some guarding beds in 2 to 6 feet of water. Light spinning tackle, leeches and smaller plastics are still working great for shallow sight-fishing. The largemouth have fully committed to the shallow weeds, cattails, and bullrushes. Topwater lures, twitch baits, and live bait have all been effective—these fish are ambushing anything that moves through their territory, per usual. It’s why we love fishing for them!
Northern
The northern are behaving as they always do. Look for weeds and fish for walleye. Kidding! But they’re in the green cabbage with the walleye and will aggressively hit anything that they see. Larger live bait and a weedless jig are working best right now.
Panfish
Panfish are active and ready to bite. Look for crappie in 12 to 15’ of water. It seems like a pun, but crappie minnows under a bobber are perfect. The bluegill are often the bite of choice for the kids since they are still easy to find in the shallows and around brush or piers along the shoreline. They are just as aggressive as the crappie, especially on warm and calm evenings. Worms and waxies are the top choice for these guys, and they also make for easy fishing with the kids - or a sure bet for dinner.
Musky
Musky action is still a bit slow, as these fish continue recovering from their spawn. They are active but not overly aggressive yet. Smaller bucktails and shallow-running crankbaits are getting some attention, especially during overcast conditions or just before a front moves in, in shallow water.
We’ve got a little bit of everything going on—sun, summer storms and enough variation in it all to keep every day on the water interesting. Fish are active, but not yet in full summer patterns - which means anglers who stay flexible and move with conditions are doing the best. It’s a great time to be on the water. Good luck and good fishin’!
Good luck and good fishin’!
Report courtesy of George Langley & Eagle Sports Center
